Daryl Parker

Chief Investigator

Meet our Founder

Daryl Parker has twenty years of experience in investigative work, including ten as a unit legal officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he oversaw the administration of the military justice system, including conducting investigations of misdemeanor and felony-level offenses. His final assignment was at the National Security Agency, where he held a Top Secret security clearance. He retired in 2005 after twenty-one years of service.

He then became a Texas peace officer and progressed from patrol officer to Lieutenant in charge of the Criminal Investigative Division, where he conducted joint investigations with the FBI, Texas Rangers and U.S. Marshals.

In 2011 he left active-duty law enforcement to become the Lead Instructor at a regional police academy, teaching basic and advanced investigative techniques to both police cadets and in-service officers.

In 2014 he began assisting the Innocence Project of Texas by reviewing and vetting potential wrongful conviction cases. Once a promising case was identified, he conducted a full investigation to find evidence to support the exoneration process.

In 2015 he established the Actual Innocence Review, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing pro bono investigative services to poor defendants who may have been wrongfully convicted.

Daryl has a master's degree in Human Rights and Social Justice from Southern Methodist University, and bachelor's degrees in Public Administration and Criminal Justice from the University of North Texas.